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Tony Blair held an emergency 'war Cabinet' meeting yesterday to finalise plans for military action against Iraq and demand that the United Nations comes to a decision on the vital second resolution against Saddam Hussein within 24 hours. As Number 10 made clear that the chances of a diplomatic breakthrough in the Security Council were now 'bleak' and American bombers for the first time struck at targets in Iraq, the UN was given until tomorrow evening to come to a final choice on whether to back a second resolution or see America and Britain launch military action alone. If it...

BRITAIN and America are to issue a stark ultimatum to Saddam Hussein — get out of Iraq or face war later this week. Saddam will be given "days" to flee into exile before a US-led military invasion begins, according to senior officials in Washington and London. The details of the final warning will be discussed by George W Bush and Tony Blair at a summit with Jose Maria Aznar, the Spanish prime minister, in the Azores today. While telephone diplomacy will continue in a last effort to get the support of a majority of the United Nations Security Council, the...

<p>By pushing for a war resolution vote he might lose, President Bush has issued an ultimatum not just to Saddam Hussein, but to the United Nations. The president has made it clear to the Chiles and Cameroons that their votes won't determine whether Saddam will be disarmed. They will determine only if the Security Council will insist that its resolutions be taken seriously.</p>

Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, has warned Iraq that it must readmit weapons inspectors or face the consequences of military action. Mr Straw, speaking outside the Foreign Office, said that he and Prime Minister Tony Blair were holding "intensive discussions" with members of the United Nations Security Council following Iraq's offer to allow weapons inspectors back into the country. Mr Straw, who is due to meet Mexico's foreign minister later today, said that unless Iraq complied fully with the "spirit as well as the letter" of United Nations resolutions, then military action will have to follow to deal with the...